


Covered

by PaisleyWraith



Category: South Park
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-26
Updated: 2018-02-26
Packaged: 2019-03-24 04:07:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13803075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PaisleyWraith/pseuds/PaisleyWraith
Summary: Kyle's been paying a little too much attention to one of his teammates, noticing something no one else has or just doesn't want to admit to.





	Covered

**Author's Note:**

> A small story for you, requested by an anon on Tumblr.

He noticed it immediately.

Baseball season was back, and the majority of boys in South Park were more or less forced to go outdoors and do something productive by the parents of the mountain town. It was a great, fun way to pretend they all still liked each other even in middle school, and at the very least, Kyle could make sure Cartman looked a fool.

Sometimes it was alright. Stan and Kenny and him palled around somewhat, clapping each other on the back when they did well and teasing one another relentlessly when they fucked up. Summer days were hot and today sweat poured off the boys as they lost spectacularly, complaining and cussing the other team out as they went back to the school.

Those who just didn’t feel like walking down the street sweaty and tired, (or those who wanted to take advantage of an open school and too much time to waste) would head back into the school to shower and change before leaving. Kyle was one of those, along with Stan once in a while, Kenny every day, Clyde most times, Token every day, a couple other guys he wasn’t close to. He definitely wasn’t the only person there. So why did he seem like the only person who noticed?

Kyle had been getting dressed quickly, rolling up his sleeves when he caught a glance of Kenny for the first time.

First of all, this kid was skinny as fuck. Like…If you looked at Craig Tucker, (who rarely used the locker rooms except for actual school days in the fall during PE) Craig was thin. Look at Token Black, he was lean, both were thinner than Kyle. But Kyle didn’t see their bones jut out like this, see every knob in their spines. Kenny looked sunken in, like a corpse, and it freaked him out most days. Made him worry, Kenny was cute but he was far too skinny to the point of it being startling.

Which was why he assumed why Kenny always wore long sleeves and baggy clothes. Until today.

Kenny was covered in bruises. And just like how Kyle knew Kenny shouldn’t be that thin, he knew Kenny should not have bruises like that.

They ranged from quarter-sized and greenish to black and the size of Kyle’s fist. They mostly resided on his forearms, shoulders, legs, and back. He froze, staring from across the room. His heart clenched. That wasn’t right. Something wasn’t right.

He swore to himself that he’d watch Kenny more closely. If no one else noticed, someone had to. 

It was summer, school wasn’t in session, but South Park wasn’t the largest of small mountain towns, and all you had to do was ask about someone and one of the gossipy fucks who lived there was glad to tell you what they were up to.

Kenny worked. Like, real adult working. Never anything else. Was at one job or the other, day or night. No other friends, no dates, and neither job was really one that he considered would have such a high chance of bruising. A convenience store stockboy and cleaning at the school.

He briefly considered that it would be possible to drop something on yourself, fall, any number of incidents, but that didn’t account for them all.

So he kept watching.

Because of course, he might get bruises on his arms from something as easy as washing dishes, if he bruised easily. But Kyle saw Kenny get run into and nearly bowled over accidentally on the field by an apologetic and frantic Butters Stotch, and the boy just laughed, brushed himself off, and later he didn’t see any marks that he didn’t recognize. Nothing new.

He kept debating asking him, but something vague held him back. He felt nervous, having to approach Kenny in the locker rooms because he was covered in marks. It would just embarrass them both. He wouldn’t until he knew more.

Yet, it worried him. Day after day, watching the bruises appear and fade and new ones blossom over his skin. Kenny was already so thin, and something in Kyle ached to see him covered in marks as well.

Kyle towel-dried his hair, turning the curls into something embarrassingly fluffy. He needed to cut his hair again. He was buttoning up his shirt when Stan elbowed him, sharply.

“Ow?” Kyle swatted at his friend, missing by inches on purpose. “What’s your deal?”

“Stop staring at Kenny, dude,” Stan said, under his breath. “You’re getting less and less subtle, it’s creeping everyone out.”

Kyle froze, heart stopping. “What?”

“Stop ogling Kenny,” Stan looked just as embarrassed as Kyle felt. “For someone who doesn’t want outed, man, you’re really-”

“I’m not-” Kyle lowered his voice, trying not to panic. “I’m not ogling. Kenny. I…look at him!”

“You’re not really supposed to stare at people in a locker room? Ky?” Stan rubbed the bridge of his nose.

“I’m serious, he looks hurt,” Kyle insisted, and that got Stan to glance over his shoulder.

“He’s got some bruises, stop looking,” Stan said exasperatedly. “He could’ve gotten those while playing. I think he actually likes throwing himself through the dirt.”

“How come no one else has any, then?” Kyle whispered back, arms crossed angrily.

“Well then, maybe he got them at work. Or with a date, Kenny’s…you know what I mean.”

“Yeah, that’s a no to both,” The redhead retorted, finishing buttoning up his shirt. “Different sizes, colors, ages, and most are on his forearms. Besides, how is he getting those cleaning the school? Someone beating him over the head with a mop?”

“Just…look, Kyle, you’re starting to creep me out,” Stan said, running a hand through his hair. “I love you, dude, but…” He took a breath, picking up his bookbag. “Just go ask him, then. Quit forcing me to make up weird shit so people don’t think you’re weirder than you are.”

Kyle shoved him, in a way that was partly irritated and partly affectionate and mostly embarrassed. The brunet was watching him a little too knowingly. “Shut up, Stan.”

Stan shoved him back, and if Kyle hadn’t been catching attention before, the two were now as Kyle picked up a few bruises of his own as the two friends squabbled.

\--

Kenny had more than bruises.

Kyle hadn’t meant to notice. Mindful of Stan’s comment, (God, his face burned every time he thought about that confrontation), he tried not to watch Kenny as closely, on the field or off. But he happened to walk by the blond boy, and yes. Maybe he glanced at him. Quickly.

Kenny had scars, all over him.

They seemed to vanish if you looked at them from a different angle. But for a moment, Kyle swore Kenny was covered head-to-toe in marks of varying sizes. Like a spiderweb, hung over his skin.

Kyle lost his breath, going back to his locker and staring off at nothing. He rested his head against the cool metal, trying to think.

This wasn’t normal. This wasn’t normal and it quickly surpassed Kyle waiting to say something. Something was horribly wrong, and his heart was racing with the implications that Kenny might actually be in trouble-

“Hey, Kal!”

Here was one person who didn’t usually stay to shower. Kyle turned, hair still damp and plastered to his skin, staring daggers at his ex-friend.

The boy was speaking loud enough to get everyone’s attention in the locker room. Kyle felt the eyes turn, and realized a little too late that Cartman was about to cause some chaos.

“What you ogling Kinnie for?”

Kyle was normally really quick to respond. A scathing reply, once or twice he’d actually retaliated physically (thank God for Stan and Kenny and even Ike once for yanking him away from the larger boy), but this time he froze up. Still, mind whirling to think of how to smooth this over.

“You into skinny little white trash, Kal?” Cartman goaded, looking utterly delighted at the fact he’d rendered the hothead speechless. “Or you just desperate enough for dick at this point you’ll get up over anything? I should’ve known, you haven’t even had a girlfriend yet since you’re so-”

“Excuse you, Kyle has exclusive ogling rights,” Kenny spoke then, having dressed lightning fast and jumped over a bench to sling an arm around the boy. The blond was small compared to one of the tallest boys in their year, but his gaze was fiercely protective. “So fuck right off, man, you’re such a fucking asshole. C’mon, Ky,” He said, pulling him away from the locker room.

He picked up Kyle’s backpack for him, and the Jewish boy found himself just going along with it.

Kenny just implied he and Kyle were a Thing. Cartman just outed him as gay without actually knowing, Kenny just confirmed that and Kyle had no idea what he was supposed to feel now. Abject horror seemed like a good choice. Abject horror it was.

“Oh my god,” He said, and Kenny tightened his grip.

“Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry,” The blond was repeating into his ear, sounding irritated at himself. “Sorry, I panicked, I went with the best thing I could think of, I’m sorry.”

The boy looked up at Kyle, wincing, looking for a reaction.

The boy shook his head, still shaky. “Not your fault. It…fuck.” How was he going to face everyone now? He just wanted to get through high school with high grades and as little drama as possible. This was going to be all over town.

“Look, I knew,” Kenny was saying, far enough away from the lockers that he stopped. Multi-blue eyes stared, Kenny was always one of those people who didn’t blink enough, and Kyle tried to figure out what he meant while also trying not to blink.

“That was so out of line for him, fuck him, everything is fine,” Kenny soothed, and it was sweet, only it was followed up with: “It’s cool. With me, I mean. I wondered when you were going to say something, I noticed, of course, but I didn’t want to- I thought I’d wait, until you were comfortable-”

“What?” Kyle blankly asked, trying to follow his train of thought. “Are you talking about. About…me being-”

“Yeah,” Kenny’s cheeks were pink, strangely enough, as if somehow Kyle being gay embarrassed him? He didn’t understand. “I mean, I’m way out of your league. The other way! I mean-” He amended quickly, pink darkening to red. Kenny didn’t stutter, he didn’t fumble, Kyle was flabbergasted by the boy in front of him. “You’re out of my league, that’s what I meant, but everything is…great, if you’re cool, I’m cool-”

“Hold on!” Kyle finally said, both hands up in either protection or surrender, he wasn’t sure. “I’m not…that’s not what- wait, what?”

“What?” Kenny asked, suddenly deadpan and the smile wiped off his face.

“No, you what!” Kyle felt this conversation quickly getting nowhere. “From the beginning. What are you talking about?”

“You staring at me in the lockers. That’s…what you’re thinking I’m talking about?” Kenny suddenly didn’t look sure.

“…You noticed that?” Kyle asked weakly, and Kenny relaxed again, smiling.

“Uh…yeah.” He seemed to be trying very, very hard not to laugh. “You are not subtle, Kyle Broflovski. You are cute, though.”

Oh. Shit.

“I wasn’t staring at you because I had a crush!” Kyle’s voice, embarrassingly, seemed to rise in pitch until it squeaked. “Your b- You are covered in marks, man! You look like you rolled down a gravel cliffside, I was just-”

The blood was draining from Kenny’s face. He stared at Kyle.

And then he ran.

“Hey!” Kyle burst, having to take a moment and realize the dumbass was actually running away from him, as if he couldn’t follow, and in another second was on his heels.

Kenny was faster, but he was also frantic and Kyle was determined. In a stupid move, the redhead tackled the boy into the grass by the gym, the two accidentally tumbling down the mild hill in a mess of elbows and pain, groaning once they stopped.

Kenny was struggling to get up and Kyle yanked him down, pinning him best he could.

Kenny’s eyes were fire, and for a second Kyle expected him to fight. But he sighed, closing his eyes.

Kyle didn’t release his hold. Kenny was clever, he didn’t trust that. He did move so he straddled the boy more than shoved his knee into his chest, however. No need to hurt him worse.

“Kenny?” Kyle asked, and Kenny didn’t say anything back. He pressed his lips more tightly together, scrunched his eyes, looked like he was trying to will himself elsewhere.

Kyle sighed. Loudly.

“I’ve been worrying about you for weeks,” He said, hands still tightly at his wrists. “You look awful, Ken, like you haven’t slept in weeks, you’re skinny as hell and I’m pretty sure you haven’t actually been swimming in gravel. So spill.”

“What if the guys come out and see you pinning me into the grass?” Kenny smile was back, the one that tightened too much over his face and made him look…odd.

“Yeah, I’m already fucked at this point, so I don’t care,” Kyle flushed regardless. Kenny’s brows scrunched before they smoothed in something clever.

“What if I told you I liked it?” Kenny’s voice held a smoothness to it that normally Kyle liked to listen to, but for some reason here made his skin crawl. “Pretty boys don’t pin me into the ground near enough.” He smirked, trying to move and Kyle went right back to slamming a knee against his chest. “…Ouch.”

“Don’t talk to me like that,” Kyle demanded, face radiating heat. It was...wrong. Like it wasn't Kenny at all, speaking. 

“Like flirting?” Kenny snipped with a tight smile, surveying the knee crushing his chest.

“Like I’m someone else,” Kyle told him, gaze unwavering. “I’m not some random you’re flirting with. You’re one of my best friends. I’ve lost sleep worrying about you. I care about you. I want to help whatever is hurting you, at whatever cost, just fucking tell me, Kenneth, before I kick you down another hill just for being an ass.”

Kenny swallowed, but the smile was returning. The smaller, shyer kind of smile, that Kyle had honestly seen maybe a handful of times lately.

“I’m serious, I’ll kick your ass,” Kyle threatened, a little desperately.

“Yeah?” Kenny was starting to laugh. “Fuck. Let me up, Ky, I won’t leave.”

He’d yet to have Kenny go back on his word, so Kyle got off him, and offered a hand to pull him into a sitting position. Kenny smiled almost coyly, and Kyle looked away.

“You can’t tell anyone,” Kenny said, and Kyle shut that down right away.

“Nope.” Kenny looked surprised at his immediate answer. “I can’t promise that, Ken, unless I know what it is. I’m not letting you get hurt. Whatever it is stops today.”

Kenny made a noise, sounding like he choked on a giggle, and ran a hand through his hair. “You…don’t really have a choice, Kyle.”

“Yes I do.” Kyle’s heart burned. He’d stop the world from spinning for this boy. Kenny was part of Kyle’s life that he could not live without. And he wasn’t going to let him get hurt. “Kenny, please…”

“It’s home stuff, okay?” Kenny burst out, with all the confidence of a person with a gun to their head. “Home stuff. You can’t do shit about it, Ky.”

“Home stuff?” Kyle’s gaze was sharp now, and Kenny looked like he regretted that immediately. “Kenny. Your family isn’t doing this, are they?”

“Mmm,” Kenny covered his face. “Nope. You need to forget that. Nevermind, this was a stupid idea.”

He almost stood and Kyle grabbed his wrist so tightly his fingernails dug into his skin. 

“You promised,” Kyle hissed. Kenny grit his teeth. “Holy shit, dude, why didn’t you tell anyone?”

“This isn’t anyone’s problem,” Kenny hissed back, shaking under Kyle’s fingers. “It’s mine, and I kind of started it, and I’m going to deal with it.”

“Kenny, you can’t-” Kyle said, not even able to comprehend the amounts of stupid Kenny was exhibiting. “You can’t run away from this. You can’t let that happen.”

“Look, I mouthed off and I told my family what I thought and now life’s a little hard, okay?” Kenny said, trying to yank his hand out of Kyle’s grasp. He was far stronger than he anticipated and easily won that struggle. “You don’t get it.”

“Yeah, my folks don’t exactly smack me around if I mouth off!” Kyle stood when Kenny did, nearly nose-to-nose and ready to fight. “That’s fucked up and you need to tell someone!”

Kenny pushed him away, angrily. “I said I’d deal with it. What, are you going to make people we don’t know take us away again? Split us up? Maybe I don’t want to go!”

“Maybe you’re an idiot,” Kyle got back in his face, sneering down at him. “I’ve been worried about you for-”

“I DON’T WANT YOUR PITY!” Kenny shoved him this time, sending Kyle stumbling. “I thought you were hot for me or something, not feeling bad for the poor kid! Just like everybody else, I’m just some stupid, dirty kid to feel bad for!”

“What the fuck?” Kyle said, now a couple feet away. “How I feel about you is irrelevant right now-”

Kenny scoffed, started laughing. “Of course it is.”

“Kenny,” Kyle said, but the boy had bolted. “KENNY!”

Kyle called him every name he could think of, mixed with pleadings and threats to stop. Kenny did not, at first, until finally he whirled around.

He let Kyle slow down and grabbed him, reaching for his shirt with both hands.

Kenny kissed him. Quickly, sullenly, nothing like what he’d want a kiss with Kenny to feel like at all. Not requiring or wanting any participation on his end, not caring for the outcome.

Kyle blinked, head tilted quizzically. “What…”

Kenny let go of him and stepped out into the street.

Kyle heard the thud, the crunch. The tired swearing of the driver. Watched Kenny twitch, angry and tired and feeling vaguely like he’d left the stove on or something. He began to walk away, irritated horns of vehicles echoing behind him. He forgot something, something important, something that was itching at his brain, like it was screaming to be remembered.

Fuck, that was going to bother him all night.


End file.
